This chapter of our adventure opens with our “heroes” beset on all sides by foes intent on preventing their escape from Brandermill. The group is surrounded by various guards including the irate sergeant, and the prison warden. The fight progresses as the two short and mottled wizards throw firebolts at one of the guards, while Valak continues to engage with the sergeant in a rousing display of swordsmanship. Their trusty ogre companion takes this opportunity to leave his single beshitted guard behind and charge into the main fray. The warlock and cleric sling spells at guards before the enemies take their turns. The forces of good attack our party, and one of the guards manages to down the paladin, his breath gasping as blood spurts from a wound on his chest. At this juncture, the cook previously left cowering in the kitchen leaps out of the newly created chimney window and attacks Amadeus with a cleaver. The girl that was with him runs out to escape and Amadeus swings at her in-flight. Picket splashes acid on the sarge and adjacent guard, while Valak spasms and maintains his hold on life. Amadeus manages to charm the cook, imploring him to aid the enslaved group. The guards counterattack, focusing primarily on Grimnok. The warden puts the charmed cook and Picket to sleep with a fierce scowl. As the fight progresses, the ogre takes significant damage, but remains upright while Xander is able to chill touch the sergeant and nearby guard, finally downing the guard. All the combatants, with the exception of the warden, are looking rather damaged and on their last legs. A lucky scorching ray from the warden takes out Xander with the sound of sizzling flesh. Just as things look most dire, the remaining Forsaken rally and dispatch the last two guards with a magical assault. Seeing the fate in store for him, the cowardly warden expeditiously retreats, tail tucked between his legs.

The party regroups, bringing its fallen members back to the land of the living to lick their wounds. After looting the bodies of the dead guards and taking what they want, including an exceptional looking longsword from the corrupt sergeant, the party proceeds into the nearby tower. Entering it, they see many tapestries depicting the history of the keep, with scenes of great heroism and valor. One large tapestry stands out, depicting Avenar with the words, “His Judgement Cometh, and That Right Soon.” Picket of course takes this opportunity to deface all the tapestries with acid splash, ruining the beautiful scenes. Valak scowls mightily at this desecration, even as part of him thrills at the blasphemy. Proceeding up the tower, they come to a library of sorts. Searching it out, they come across an interesting tome titled “Astromystery,” which Xander pockets. They continue on, encountering two doors; one closed, one ajar. The closed door is titled, “Warden’s Chamber.” The ajar door has a sign that says, “Private. Keep Out.” They enter the warden’s chambers to see a richly furnished room in which they find a map, a spellbook, and an arcane focus. The other chamber with the partially open door is a nice bedroom. In it, they find the name of the warden, Mateus Richter. There are also nice clothes, and an alchemist lab, which Amadeus somehow takes, despite his decrepit frame.

The group decides to escape as quickly as possible at this point, using the shortest path to exit the keep. They come to the bridge leading away from the prison, across which is a guard with a bow and a dog. The party quickly closes distance and slings spells, taking out this new threat in short order. Poor Grimnok falls however, and Valak uses some of his healing hands to bring him back up. Amadeus, afflicted with mental illness as he is, performs his debased ritual on the downed guard, cutting his throat and removing his eyes. In the guard’s blood, he writes, “Avenar will Burn” on the side of the guard house. Having exhausted all other options, they continue on down the road for several hours. They eventually come to a crossroads with a sign. They head down the Old Moor Road, after removing the sign for Brandermill Prison. Soon enough, they come to a house with a single candle burning in the window.

Striding up to the door, Valak raps upon it, and Tiadora answers, alluring as always. They enter, and slaves tend to their needs, despite dark looks from Amadeus. The weary escapees are bathed and led to individual rooms, wherein they find clothes suited to their individual preferences. They are offered healing wine, which closes their wounds and refreshes their spirits. After a short rest, they are led down to see Tiadora. She takes the group to a well appointed chamber, in which they see an “Anton Levay” looking fellow, wearing fancy robes with Karamaka’s symbol. He is Archbishop Adrastus Thorn, priest of Karamaka, who explains his plan to destroy the church of Avenar. He further shows us his slavery brand, which mirrors our own. He exhorts us to aid Karmaka through him, assisting in his endeavors. The man seems quite taken with himself, and is obviously used to being obeyed. The party quickly agrees, each person obviously seeing this as the best path to seeing their ambitions realized, though Valak is hesitant. To seal this pact, Tiadora brings in a young girl, who seems to be ensorcelled. She cuts the girl’s wrist, directing her blood to flow into a bowl. Thorn then produces a balor bone pen which he dips in the blood and offers us to sign a contract written on what we believe to be flesh. Thorn has already signed the contract, and it pledges the signees to Karamaka, Thorn, each other, and themselves, in that order. Each member signs the contract, and is given three days in which to rest and do as they wish so long as they do not leave the manor. They are also given a budget of 500gp to spend on whatever essentials they think they will need for the trials ahead. The party members are further given magical circlets, which will allow them to disguise themselves however they wish. (As per the disguise self spell) These circlets will aid them in remaining hidden as they go about Karamaka's work, as they are still wanted fugitives.

As they spend time in the house, the party encounters another group of adventurers called The White Ravens. They are led by a stunning woman named Elise, who possesses a white raven familiar. There is also a half-elf barbarian named Donstan, a rather large fellow. The rest of the group consists of two twins, Tallus the ranger and Titus the cleric. The Forsaken converse with them a bit over the course of three days. From the White Ravens, the group gets the impression that Thorn has many cells such as these out in the world performing various tasks. At the end of the three days, Thorn summons the party to chat. He informs them that they will soon venture forth into the basement of this house, in which resides nine rooms, each more dangerous than the last. From these rooms they are to recover a pendant, made of silver and sapphire. There is a 24 hour time limit to recover this pendant. After the party members indicate their readiness, Tiadora leads them towards the basement. Any attempts to glean information from her are met with silence or mockery. Shrugging, the group approaches a door, and will find out what the basement has in store for them...

Last edited by DalamarD on Mon Nov 20, 2017 9:12 am, edited 1 time in total.

Thorn is very interested in bringing down Avenar and his followers. He believes this is best accomplished by destroying the Lake States. As he said, “I am going to burn the Lake States to the ground, and from the ashes build a new nation that knows its rightful Mistress.”